Love Game
by GrandTouring
Summary: Nick Wilde has never been loved in his life. So when he met Judy Hopps, these feelings were new to him. Now, his feelings toward Judy are growing into something that is more than just friends, and he wants Judy to realize that. Love isn't easy, and it shows, especially with these two. The question is, does she think of him the same?
1. So Far

**A/N: Hello! Welcome to my next big project. I've had this in mind for a while now. This will have romance as the main theme, with a bit of humor as well. Keep in mind, it is dark humor, so be careful. This is rated T for language and some sexual content.**

 **Originally, this was going to be a series of one-shots that would be titled "Refill". However, when I was writing this, I came up with ideas to continue it, and I couldn't keep it a one-shot anymore.**

 **I don't own these characters, Disney does. I highly doubt that Disney will see this, but in the slim chance they do, don't sue me.**

 **Anyway, read on!**

 **Chapter 1: So Far**

Nick Wilde. The former con artist, now ZPD officer. The fox who helped crack the Night Howler case. The partner of Officer Hopps. At times, known as the bastard that scammed money out of people.

If you looked at it from that standpoint, you'd think his life had been good to him so far. To most of Zootopia, anyway. It's the opposite, however. He had come to terms with it.

He had never understood one thing, though.

Love.

Let's be honest, you can't expect him to. His dad left him with no remorse at all, and his mother didn't have that much time for him. Sure, he had dated a few vixens during his teens, but they either didn't work out, or on one occasion, the bitch was just crazy.

So when he met Judy Hopps, these feelings he felt towards her felt weird. Unnatural. He had never felt welcome, due to his past. The muzzle incident would come back to haunt him often. When he was given comfort after telling that to Judy, he no longer felt like the person he was stereotyped to be.

He kept denying that he loved her. _It just doesn't work._ He kept saying to himself. A fox and a bunny as boyfriend and girlfriend was, to put it in less words, never heard of in Zootopia. It would be worse if they had sex. And while interspecies relationships were picking up steam, a predator and prey relationship wouldn't work well with the media.

 _Does Judy know this?_ That question wasn't obvious. He was anything but romantic when they were on duty. To put it simply, he's plain old Nick. The sarcastic and witty fox was present. Always had that smirk on his face. When they weren't on duty, it's like some sort of evil twin was unleashed when they are on duty.

Okay, maybe it wasn't that bad. They had their close calls, yes, but they'd usually shrug them off by the next morning. _I'm just over thinking this._ That's what he wishes he could tell himself, but he kept denying it. There was one thing he wouldn't let go.

He loved Judy.

But he didn't know if _she_ loved _him._

* * *

 _Beep! Beep! Beep!_

Waking up to an alarm clock isn't the best way to wake up. Especially if you're not a morning person.

There was something that Nick despised about mornings. Despite the multiple cups of coffee he drank, he could never keep himself focused until the afternoon. Foxes weren't morning people, and it was a common fact.

Nick yawned, and looked over at his clock. He gave a confused look. "When did I set my alarm to 5:50?" He said, in his 'morning voice'. That's what Judy calls it.

He started thinking that Judy snuck into his room and reset his alarm. It sounded far-fetched, but it was the only thing he could think of.

Well, one of the benefits was that he could arrive at the police station a lot earlier. But how is it a benefit when you didn't like mornings? Wasn't Judy picking him up anyway?

Nick had difficulty getting out of his bed, but he managed. He had to. The ZPD wasn't merciful to people who were late. While they weren't late themselves, the message was loud and clear what would happen to them if they were late. One month parking duty.

 _Ding!_

 _Of course she's awake._ Nick thought, annoyed. He never understood how Judy got sleep at night, due to her loud neighbors. Especially because of her hearing skills. He had always meant to ask her.

Nick looked at his phone, and soon looked away. He had always forgotten to turn down the brightness. Once he looked back, he saw that he had a text from 'Carrots'. Yes, he had saved it as his contact name for her. He hadn't told Judy yet, though.

 _Wake up, sly fox!_

He could imagine her saying that. He even read it in her voice. Ready to go, and eager.

Nick responded. _Yeah, I'm up. At the expense of my sleep._

 _Okay, I'll see you at about 6:30. Get going!_

Nick looked at his clock. _5:55 AM._

With that, Nick walked over to the kitchen to make some of his signature coffee. It was the only thing he could do right now – Judy was probably on the train. He had 35 minutes to get his uniform on.

It shouldn't take too long.

* * *

"Finally! What took you so long?"

Nick could care less that Judy had arrived 10 minutes early. He was used to it, as it happened all the time. The bunny was energetic, he would give her that. Well, he did get dressed early as well. So maybe they're both at fault.

"I didn't take that long, Carrots. Calm down."

Judy rolled her eyes. "Let's go." She said impatiently.

"Oh, wait! I forgot something!" Nick ran back into his room. Judy groaned in frustration, and started tapping her foot on the floor.

Nick came out, wearing the same uniform. There was only one difference; he had his shades on.

"Is that _seriously_ what you forgot?" Judy was tapping her foot more vigorously now.

"What? Are you saying that these aren't important?" He pointed to his shades.

" _Yes!"_

"Still keeping them on."

With that, they walked out of Nick's room and headed towards the train station. Well, at least Nick walked. Judy ran. He didn't try to keep up. He knew he would fail. The bunny was too fast for him.

"Come on, Nick! Can you keep up?"

 _Judy Hopps, you will be the death of me._

* * *

"Finished first again!"

The duo were staying at the station late, to finish up some paperwork that they were behind on. It had turned into a race to see who could finish first.

"Carrots, you always finish first. It's common sense to me now."

"It is to me too. I just like messing with you."

Nick was almost done anyway. Just five minutes later and he was up and out of their office. Just in time. The night shift was starting soon.

He never looked forward to this part of the day. Saying goodbye to Judy. Yes, he'll see her again the next day, but there was something that pained him. He wanted to stay with her. Possibly mate. Who knows?

 _At least ask her a question._ Nick thought.

"Carrots?"

"Yeah?"

This was going to be harder than he thought. He had no question planned. He wanted to ask her on a date. He never really got to pulling that shit out of him, and asking her out. So, his only plan was to improvise.

"How do you sleep at night? Your neighbors are some of the loudest I've seen."

"I got used to it pretty quick."

Hey, he asked a question that was on his mind for a while. But still, it wasn't the question he wanted to ask her.

"Oh! We almost passed my apartment. Bye!"

Nick didn't say anything. He just waved. However, he wanted to run inside with her and just hug her. Kiss her. Have sex if it could go that far. Just get lost in his own world.

This was unlike him, though. It's been stated many times before. Nick isn't the lovey-dovey type.

Then why is this one bunny making him feel this way?

Watching Judy close the door of her apartment building, Nick walked away. Back to the train station, so he could get to his apartment and sleep. And have a bunch of dreams about Judy.

It was routine at this point. Wake up, get a text message from Judy, get picked up, work on their assigned cases, finish up some paperwork, and head back home. That's what it is.

He wanted it to be so much more than that though. He knew their relationship was special. But did Judy realize that?

* * *

Nick was lying down on the couch. Never mind the bed in the other room. He was a bit too tired to walk over there.

When will he confess? It was almost a year since the Night Howler case, and since they've been partners for the same amount of time, he thought it would happen already. Judy sure as hell didn't notice his feelings. They were covered up by the sly fox he was. There was nothing wrong with that. He just wanted to show her that he cared. Like she showed him that she cared.

He's never had these feelings toward a prey. Prey would always fear predator in Zootopia. Judy broke the boundaries of that. She broke boundaries by just _talking_ to Nick. And now they were partners. Predator and prey. Partners. They never mixed together. She was willing to help, no matter the consequences. That's what he liked about her. She wasn't afraid to take a stand.

"I can't keep running away.." Nick thought out loud. "If I want her, then I need to get my act together. I can do this." Motivational speeches. From himself.

He would figure it out in the morning. Or whenever he does.

He was drifting off a bit. Before he closed his eyes, he said one thing.

"I love you, Judy."

He said that to himself. When would he say that to Judy? He didn't know. Maybe tomorrow. Maybe in a few months. Years. Time flies. No matter when he said it, he had to say it. He hated bottling up these emotions. He didn't want to keep them secret anymore. It obviously wasn't going to be easy. It never was. Who said confessing was easy?

Would she feel the same? That was another question that bugged him. If she did, then it was a step in the right direction. What if she didn't? Where could he go? He hated seeing himself like this. Someone needed to save him from himself, and all this conflict.

He would say it sooner or later.

And no one would stop him.

* * *

 **A/N: So that wraps up this first chapter! I would appreciate it if you give me some feedback! I'm feeling good about this story so far.**

 **Thanks for reading!**

 **(Cover image is from Neytrix on DeviantArt. Check him out! :D)**


	2. Stronger Than I Was

**(Same with the previous chapter, this was written in April of 2016. This has aged a little better, but that's not saying much in my opinion. But then again, maybe you'll find something good about this that I can't see. Enjoy reading!)**

 **A/N: Wow! I was not expecting this to get popular! It will never be as successful as other stories in this section, but still! It's my most successful story to date! So, thank you all so much.**

 **So this is where the sexual suggestions get more commonplace. Slight nudity warning. So, be careful.**

 **Read on!**

 **Chapter 2: Stronger Than I Was**

 _Nick walked up to his room, immediately regretting his decision to bring this bitch home. His mom was out somewhere. She wouldn't tell him where she was going. As soon as he opened the door, he looked down and saw a bra, a t-shirt, and jeans. He looked up and saw that his closet door was opened._

" _Kim, look me in the eyes and tell me that's not your bra." Nick pointed at the mess of clothes on the floor._

 _The head of a vixen popped out. She was looking at Nick. And giggling. That's not a good sign. "I'm the only girl in the room, Nick. Of course that's my bra." She just said it without hesitation. As if lying would fool him anyway._

" _Kim, we're only 17! You're already wanting to have sex!? Give me a break!" Nick picked up the clothes that were on the floor. He wanted to get out of there._

" _Oh, come on, Nickie. Just try it." Kim said, in a seductive tone. She walked out of the closet, showing that she had only underwear on._

" _I could throw you out of this house, and not give you your clothes." Nick said, annoyed. "Or you can have your clothes, and we can forget that this happened."_

 _Nick had way too many dates like this. Have a nice little dinner and shit, and when they get home, all they want is sex. He hadn't met a single vixen that isn't like this. Yes, he's attractive, but that's not what love is about._

" _I'll leave you to decide on that situation." Kim just sat down on the bed, lying down. Nick chose the sensible option._

 _And that's how she ended up walking home in nothing but her panties, and how one of the most popular girls in school became a laughingstock. She got her clothes back, though._

* * *

Nick's dating life didn't exactly have the best record. Sex addicts. Dares. Injuries. Near death. He was paired up with some of the worst matches. They all had one thing in common: they were all assholes.

Judy was the first potential date that Nick had an emotional connection to. He could trust her. He would be sure that she wasn't on a date because she was dared to. He knew that if she's on a date, she meant it.

And even then, he had a feeling that something would go wrong during the date. He might say something that Judy doesn't approve of. He might have horrible breath. He might just be nervous in general.

None of that shit stopped him though. He was determined. Even if he's failed to ask her out more times than you can count.

Nothing would break him down. He felt amazing.

He was stronger than he ever was.

But he was prepared for disappointment.

* * *

Thoughts on Nick? Judy couldn't answer that. Why not? Only Judy knew the answer to that.

If she wanted people to stop asking her then she would tell them. But she wanted to keep her feeling for Nick in private. Well, at least for a while before it would get out to the world.

When they just took walks around the city, Nick always looked like he wanted to say something. Something that he'd been bottling up for a while. When would he spit it out? He had to sooner or later. Whatever he was hiding would be the death of him.

Judy has had no experience with men. None. People thought that she had already mated with someone. Had God knows how many kids. The phrase "multiply like rabbits" doesn't exactly apply to Judy. But was she at fault for that?

No, not really. Sure, she doesn't take initiative when it comes to men and tries to find one. She wants to know her partner well enough.

Most men in Zootopia were either married, dating, or were just "busy". That was the problem. When men were single, they weren't exactly the best matches for her.

Nick had told her these stories about these girls he used to date. She found humor in them, even though others probably wouldn't. Looking back, he did too.

She almost kissed him during one of these stories. She was just laughing too hard, and she got a bit too close for comfort.

"You sly bunny." That only helped Judy get even redder in the face.

That was about the most intimate they got.

Judy had always expected Nick to take action by now. Wasn't it usually the man that asked the woman out? In popular culture, yes, but in real life, no.

Yes, Judy loved Nick.

But she didn't know if she was ready for this. Love isn't about the sex. It's a commitment. Are you committed to your partner, or husband, or wife? Will you care for them every day of the week, 24/7?

She didn't know why, how, or when she ended up being in this position. Was she expecting it to happen? Yes. When _would_ it happen? That question doesn't necessarily have an answer.

She needed to come up with something to get him to crack. To give in and just tell her. You can't keep things hidden forever. If all else failed, then she was going to have to put it in her hands.

* * *

"I've never tasted blueberries that bad before." Nick ran out of the restaurant. He was surprising himself by saying that, since blueberries were his favorite food. That's the consequences of rushing to the nearest restaurant.

It was lunch break. Nick didn't pack a lunch, and he was hungry as hell, so he decided the local restaurant would do.

"You seriously didn't expect that to happen? The state of that place was horrible."

"Right, Judy. Those are the first few steps of you becoming a host on 'Kitchen Nightmares'." Nick joked.

Judy rolled her eyes. "I'm sure they're much more detailed than that."

"I've never actually watched that show."

"Then why did you mention it?"

"…No idea."

They laughed after that. Nick enjoyed having little talks like this. Yes, they didn't get him anywhere, but he enjoyed talking with his potential lover. _Excuse me, friend._

 _Let's not think about that now._ Nick thought.

"Do you think you could come over tonight? After our shift is over." Judy asked.

 _You asked that when I was about to let my feelings go? For one second?_

"Of course, Carrots."

 _And Nick, you've obviously done fuck all to help improve it._ Nick's new hobby, apparently, was to talk to himself in his thoughts.

"Oh, thank you!" Judy suddenly pulled Nick into a quick hug. He was luck that his fur was able to hide his blushing. Judy, however, was in no rush to try and hide her blushing. As if she could.

 _This doesn't mean anything. Just staying at her apartment. As friends. Oh, fuck it! She's blushing as well! She loves me! I don't know if I should be excited or not._

"Nick? You okay?"

The fox was brought back to reality. How many times Judy had to do that, he would never know.

"Yeah, I'm fine."

"You sure? You sort of drifted off. You were just staring into space."

"I'm okay."

Nick's only way of keeping the bunny's mouth shut was to just reassure her over and over again. If they were a couple, then a quick kiss on the lips would do it. But that kiss might turn into something more. It can become more passionate and tender. It could lead to a _Do Not Disturb_ sign on the door.

 _Well, that escalated quickly._ Nick thought. He was just overthinking it.

"Oh, lunch break is almost over. Come on, we gotta head back to the station."

He could do this. Finish up the assigned cases, finish up some paperwork, and then head over to Judy's apartment. It wasn't that long. Then why did it seem like it was going to drag out?

Unless Nick confesses, these feelings will stay at the front of his mind. They wouldn't leave him alone. So he needed to come up with something that would work. You can't hide feelings forever.

Especially if they were feelings like this.

* * *

Judy didn't know what she got herself into. She didn't think before asking, which was unlike her. Sure, it had happened in the past, such as the press conference, but it rarely happened after that.

Now she got herself in this situation. She could take Nick in, yes, but not now. But still, it had to start somewhere. As usual, her excuse was that she wasn't ready. She didn't say that to Nick though. It would break him. Or would it? _Never let them see that they get to you._ If he stood by that, then it wouldn't.

He's probably sensitive when it comes to this kind of situation. She was getting suspicious. He acted completely different than when they were just talking. Without any police related conflicts.

If something could happen, then maybe she wasn't being an idiot, and she let go of her thoughts for good. If not, then it was obviously pointless.

Her blushing wasn't intentional when she hugged him. It just happened. She prayed that he didn't notice.

 _Judy, you don't have red fur. Of course he noticed!_

Judy wanted to let these thoughts go. She could do this. Just have a fun night together. Without any romantic undertones at all.

How hard could it be?

* * *

 **A/N: Again, thanks to everybody who viewed, favorited, and followed. Let me know how I did with this chapter! I'd like a full review, telling me what I could improve on, what was really good, etc.**

 **Thanks for reading!**


	3. The Weekend

**A/N: GrandTouring3 takes the shortest time to update his fanfictions. That's a lie.**

 **Seriously though, I apologize to those who were waiting for a third chapter after the second. It's finally here. If you've seen the authors note (now deleted), I needed time to plan out the story. I've got it planned out now.**

 **And while I'm still talking, let me mention that this now has over 100 followers. I'm at a loss for words. I didn't know that people like this that much. Thank you all so much. I'm surprised that most of you have stuck around, even during the hiatus. I never thought it would get here, so again, thank you.**

 **The next chapter won't take too long. And another lie. Let's start before the lies pile up.**

 **(I honestly won't be surprised if this chapter is a bit disappointing to some. After being out of MS Word for 2 weeks, it's expected.)**

 **Chapter 3: The Weekend**

 _ **Saturday, 7:10 a.m.**_

Nick struggled to open his eyes. The first thing he noticed was that he had nothing but his shorts on. He didn't most of last night. The fox had a forgetful nature, but he at least remembers what happened the previous day. He remembered being invited to Judy's apartment, having a few drinks and…

 _No. No way. Please don't tell me.._

"Uh, Judy? Did we-"

"No!"

Nick's face was now as red as a tomato.

Of course Judy is awake and in the kitchen. He was sleeping in her bed, so he couldn't help but ask that question. Though he certainly didn't mind if she said yes to that question.

 _Well, that came off as a bit wrong._

 _Wait a minute._

"Why aren't you rushing me to the station?"

"Your memory must be messed up right now. It's Saturday, Nick. You were the only one that drank last night."

 _Perfect!_ It was the weekend. He could set a reasonable goal for himself. He could try to confess to Judy at the end of the weekend. Or at least ask her out. It sounded way too ambitious for his own good, but he still carried on with it.

"You foxes are so forgetful."

"You've only met two foxes in your life."

"So what? I'm probably the only bunny that you've seen."

That clearly wasn't getting them anywhere. At least to Judy. To the fox, it was getting them farther away. That was what he thought when they had the smallest of arguments. Like this one. To be honest, you couldn't call it an argument. More like a playful exchange of some sorts.

As if his conversations with this bunny weren't awkward. They had their times when they got serious, but that was when they were discussing stuff that wasn't about their feelings. Then again, he did manage to slip in his sly side when they were serious. That wasn't rare.

"Actually, I have met a few bunnies before."

"Really? Where are they?

"Not a clue. They ran away."

"Why? You scared them off?"

"Oh, no. I just talked about stuff they didn't like, and they walked off."

Judy stifled a laugh at that statement. She couldn't help it. "What's so funny, bunny?" She heard him ask behind her. She glared at him.

"Oh, great rhymes there. You should take up a music career."

"Really?"

"No."

Nick rolled his eyes. "You're so nice to me." He said in a sarcastic tone. It didn't bother him too much. It was the nature of his motto. "One of the most inspirational and encouraging people I've ever met." That earned him an elbow to the ribs. "Ow! Come on, Cottontail! It's called a joke!"

Judy was giggling. "I know what a joke is, fox."

Nick blushed, but thanks to his red fur, most of it was barley noticeable. _She's never called me "fox" before._ And yes, once in a while, Nick would call her "bunny", but Judy hadn't returned the favor. To most animals, calling another animal by his or her animal name has slight romantic undertones. Maybe she didn't mean it. Or maybe she did. To be honest, he hoped that she did.

"Well, maybe you have potential to be a singer. Just don't come to the studio drunk. The last time you sang drunk, my ears almost got busted out." Judy joked.

"So what do you want to do this weekend, Nick?" Okay, she's gone back to saying his actual name again. As if she wanted the vulpine behind him to not take the animal name seriously. The fox wasn't the type to simply let things go. It wasn't that he was incapable of forgiving. He'd just rather remind you of it over and over again. That was one of his favorite things to do. "I was thinking we could take a walk around the Zootopia Central Park."

"Uh, Nick? You forgetting something?" Judy turned around and gave him a playful look.

"Oh shit, coffee!"

"There you go!"

"Oh, whatever!"

* * *

 _ **Saturday, 9:30 a.m.**_

Nick had survived the early morning. Barely. It took him a while to get out of the room, as usual. Now it was time for the real day to start. After getting his green Hawaiian shirt and ugly tie on (this didn't come with our complaints from Judy), the two _friends_ headed out of the door, and towards the park. It was like an extra walk to them, because unfortunately for them, Nick was too lazy to get a car.

"We would still be walking if I got a car anyway." And of course, Judy talked to Nick about the same subject. "The park is only a few blocks away."

He could ask her on a date while they're walking. So what was stopping him this time? He didn't really think it was the time yet. Determination kept that thought in the back of his head.

He had narrowed his goal. He would try to ask Judy out on a date by at least 3:00 p.m. It seemed impossible when he considered it. Then again, there were five hours and thirty minutes left to do it. So why not? Because he's too tongue tied to man up and just go for it. All the time, he had accidentally diverted the question to something else. It had stopped recently, but that doesn't mean it's not a problem.

"You look like you have something to say, Nick."

 _Right. You're standing next to your crush. Just have a normal conversation with her. Can't be too hard, right?_

"No, I don't feel like saying anything."

 _Okay, it's the hardest thing you've ever done. 'I love you. I love you so much.' Just say that._

"You sure?"

"Absolutely."

Judy gave him a look that said, 'I don't believe you.' He couldn't blame her. He answered right after she finished her question. What could he do? He wasn't the type to express his feelings openly, as we've discussed.

"Okay…" Her voice had a questioning tone to it. He needed to work on his social skills. Actually, no he didn't. His social skills just stop working when he's around Judy. Of course.

 _Come on, Nick. You've got this. A few more hours. Just stall her and then let her go after you ask her._

* * *

 _ **Saturday, 3:30 p.m.**_

If you're wondering why Nick is sitting on the couch in his apartment room, and staring up at the ceiling, it should be pretty obvious. If he had done what he had planned to do then he would be doing anything but staring at a ceiling.

That was what happened before he started banging his head on a table.

"Stupid, stupid, stupid!" The fox said as he repeatedly banged his head on said table. "What the fuck did I say? That goal was way too close for you to achieve! Yet you went through with it anyway! Now look where it got you!"

To outsiders, it sounded like he was going insane. No one talked to themselves like that. Nick was just expressing his frustration. Towards himself.

He sighed, and laid back on the couch. "Why am I having so much trouble saying three simple words? 'I love you.' That's it!" Nick felt okay yelling at himself. For some reason.

 _They're not simple, Nick. Can you think before you say stuff? Or does your brain exist at all?_

Still, he didn't give up. He had the rest of the weekend. Nick was going to set a new goal for himself. But he would have to focus on it later. He was tired. At three in the afternoon.

For now, he would just have to spend the rest of the day in his apartment watching whatever is on TV.

Nick would try to ask Judy out on Sunday.

* * *

 _ **Sunday, 1:00 p.m.**_

No, he hasn't asked her out yet.

Well, he's getting somewhere. Nick was currently in Judy's apartment. It was a surprise visit, and she immediately let him in. It sounded a bit suspicious. It was like she _really_ needed him with her. That was fine by him, because there was no doubt that he definitely needed her.

It was nothing special. At least not now. Just sitting down on her couch, watching TV. It was a bit uncomfortable, due to the size of her apartment, but he managed.

"Why do always look like you want to say something?"

Never mind.

"As far as I know, I'm trying my best to keep a straight face."

"You're obviously failing."

Okay, a bit of a lukewarm start. But her attitude honestly wasn't helping. He's the sly one. He should be saying these things to her. Right now, he's actually able to keep his mouth shut.

All she was doing was putting pressure on him. And this pressure eventually made him crack.

"Okay! Maybe I _do_ have something to say. I might as well say it now than just keep it bottled up."

 _Okay, keep going…_

"I've been wanting to ask this question for a while…"

"So ask it!"

Nick gave a heavy sigh, and smiled.

"Would you like to…go on a…date?"

Nick was holding in his breath. When he was practicing, he was breathing _very_ heavily. To think that if she said no, he would've done this for nothing.

"I mean, not this week, since we have police duty and stuff, but maybe next Saturday?" The fox swore he could see Judy…blushing. _So this is working._ He thought immediately.

"Nick…of course!"

And what happened next felt like a blur to the fox. She just pulled Nick into a tight hug. At first Nick enjoyed it. But then, like Judy intended it to be, it got a little too tight.

"Yeah, I'm getting your point, Carrots. You can let go now."

Nick looked at her cheeks. Let's say they were redder than before.

"I see you blushing." Nick tried to stifle a chuckle.

"Shut up."

 _So that's out of the way. Now all you have to think about is what you got yourself into._ But Nick would prefer not to think about that now. All he knew was that he was going to screaming in joy when he got back to his apartment room.

* * *

 _ **Sunday, 7:30 p.m.**_

Judy wanted to wipe off the smile she had on her face. But with the events that had occurred earlier that day, it was considered impossible.

She had expected him to ask her that. Just not at that time. But still, it had to get out at some time.

This was going to be a big leap for her feelings. And his feelings, if he had any for her. She didn't know. Even if it should be obvious, because he's the one that asked her on the date. Nick had to wow her. And she was going to wow him. In ways other than…that.

She could have kissed him right then and there. But if she did, then that would ruin the purpose of asking her out. A date has always been considered a start to a romantic relationship. So that would debunk the purpose.

They barely planned this out. They had no idea what they were going to do. Maybe they could go to a restaurant, or maybe have a nice picnic. Provided that it didn't get rained out. They said they would plan out details as the week went on.

But as of now, it was confirmed that she was going a date with Nick.

And she was happy about that.

* * *

Saturday couldn't come early enough.

Was he excited? Yes, he was. Was he nervous? Of course. Right now, though, he was more excited than nervous. But he was relieved as well.

Though he couldn't help that maybe he was rushing through this a bit too fast. Nick lobed her of course. He was just thinking that now wasn't the time. He didn't want to go through this too fast or too slow.

His emotions were playing with him. He couldn't take it anymore.

But still, he had six days left.

That's enough time to plan. Enough time to get ready.

He was ready for this date. Actually, he didn't know if he was.

It's a date with Judy Hopps. His partner for about a year. They wanted to step it up.

And taking it a step was what scared Nick the most.

* * *

 **Please review, and let me know if you liked this (or not).**

 **Thanks for reading! ;)**

 **(Note: I realize that due to having this rule where you're only allowed to post a review to each chapter, some might be getting this message. If you're getting this message, then send me your review in a PM.)**


	4. The Date

**A/N: This took way too long. Two months, to be exact. You all must hate me now. I don't blame you.**

 **Anyway, here is the second to last chapter. It took a while to come up with ideas, especially with the ending. Enjoy! :D**

 **(I have a feeling that no one remembers this and they have to read the whole thing all over again…)**

 **Chapter 4: The Date**

 _Okay. You've got this. You're just going on a date with your current crush. Just impress her. Wow her. Show her you care. Can't be too hard._

 _Oh, stop lying. You're making it worse. And you've been saying that 'things can't be too hard' a lot lately. It's getting annoying._

Nick didn't know which side of his thoughts he should agree with. It wouldn't help him to agree with any side at this point. None of them were showing any signs of helping the fox. They went at it like Judy's neighbors.

 _I'm saying 'can't be too hard' because it's the truth. Could be worse._

The other side of his thoughts didn't have anything to say. The fox had just remembered that one date he had in high school. For all he knew, Judy wasn't a sex crazed vixen. She didn't use him for popularity.

He had already messed something up, and the date hadn't even started.

He had forgotten to check the weather, and it was getting cloudy outside. They had planned a picnic for this date, and if it rained, then this date was going to be a bust. He hoped that she didn't mind. Then again, she probably did.

He had talked to old friends earlier in the week. Some of them helped, but most of them just said this: "GLHF". Which stands for "good luck, have fun." Which is also sarcasm. Maybe they didn't like this "new" Nick Wilde that had turned into a romantic.

He just promised them that he would be the same when he eventually got paired up. Which probably wouldn't happen. He preferred not to think about that.

He was the one that was going to be picked up Judy from her apartment. Nick was ready.

The only thing that he was asking: is _she_ ready?

* * *

No, she's not ready.

She had almost forgotten, which, now that I think about it, is pretty unlikely. Looks like Nick is doing something to her as well.

To Judy, tonight was going to be the night that she would try to get something off of her chest. It was about time. She had kept her feelings bottled up (how many times have we discussed this?) for almost a year. And over that time, things got increasingly awkward.

But now, she didn't have to be shy about anything. And while people might not like it, it was part of her. As her parents said, she was a trier. So, why not try this?

 _Because you'll be on the news everywhere. Possibly even more than the Night Howler case._

Judy pushed her thoughts to the side, even if they did have a point. It's just her and Nick. Don't focus on other people's opinions.

With her motivational thoughts out of the way it was time to get herself ready, and-

 _Knock, knock, knock!_

Oh, well, what do you know? Nick's at the door. "Uh, give me a second!" Judy called out from behind the door. "How long did you have to get ready?" Nick responded on the other side. "Dumb bunny." He muttered under his breath. "Dumb fox!" Judy called out. She was thankful for her ears. Nick? Not so much.

About five minutes later, Judy was finally ready. "Took you long enough!" The fox commented. "Oh, shut up." Judy replied.

"I can see that your neighbors have gotten to you."

Judy smiled and sighed. This was why she enjoyed being with Nick. He would get on her nerves, but even if he did, it would often make up for the bad day that she might have had.

"Earth to Carrots!"

Nick's voice snapped her back to reality. He was waving a paw in front of her face. She had stopped in the middle of the hallway.

"Why'd you stop?" She stayed silent. "…Nothing." And with that, she started walking again. Nick briefly stayed behind and gave her a confused look. Eventually, he started following her.

 _Why do things have to be so awkward between us?_

* * *

The date, thankfully, had been going better than Nick had expected. If they could keep this up, then he could finally do what he had been waiting to do.

Except he didn't plan how he was going to do it.

And like any mammal going on a date, he was nervous. That's natural. You could tell that he was nervous, and Judy was about to call him out on that. Two things stopped her. One, she wouldn't be helping him by much. Two, she was nervous as well. Her thoughts were all over the place. The feeling was mutual.

"Why do I have the feeling that it's going to rain?" Judy asked. "Because it's very cloudy? Wow, good observation! I need to take note of that!" Nick said sarcastically, pulling that smug grin after. Judy rolled her eyes.

And then right on cue, Nick felt a raindrop on his head. _Hang on. Don't tell me that I just jinxed everything. Right when everything was going good._

"Did you feel something wet?" Judy asked nervously. She was worried about the exact same thing that Nick was thinking.

 _Well, look who had to open his big mouth!_ Nick was extremely frustrated now. He didn't have a back up plan if it started raining either. It felt like everything was going wrong on this date.

Again, Nick felt another raindrop, this time on his arm. He was seriously hoping it wouldn't rain too hard. Though, with his luck, it might. _Just ignore the raindrops. It might just become a drizzle._

Then he felt another raindrop.

 _Just…ignore…them…_

And another one.

 _Ignore them._

He felt a few more. It was starting to get faster.

 _You call this "ignoring"? This is some of the worst I've seen._

His thoughts weren't helping much. They did have a point, even if it seemed as if their only point was to discourage the fox.

"Nick, I think we need to get inside." Judy's voice snapped him back to reality for what seemed to be the…Nick had lost count. From her tone, it was definitely going to be a thunderstorm.

"Well, where are we gonna go?" Nick asked. The raindrops were getting faster and faster. "I had no idea this would happen!"

"What about your apartment? That's the closet place!"

Nick just stood there in silence. _Why didn't you think of that, you fucking idiot!?_ "Y-yeah, I guess that works."

"Come on, we have to get out of here!" She was right. The raindrops had turned into actual rain, and they thought that they heard thunder. They quickly packed up their stuff, and ran toward the apartment. Nick knew pretty much all of Zootopia, so this was easy to him.

What wasn't going to be easy was executing the plan that he had.

* * *

They had made it to Nick's apartment surprisingly quickly, and without much trouble. When they got there, they had settled to just do a movie night, because why not?

They spent most of their time critiquing the movie and the characters decisions, rather than watching the actual movie. They came up with rather strange comparisons.

About two hours had passed, and Judy had started sleeping. She had her head resting against Nick's chest.

 _She looks cute when she's sleeping. She would also have my head if she was awake._

Judy had a smile on her face. Nick didn't. He wasn't too proud of tonight. He couldn't say what he wanted to say. Judging from this, it would take much longer for him to actually get it out. If he did at all.

"Mmmnh…what time is it?" Judy started stirring.

"I have no idea."

Judy moved her head away from Nick's chest. She didn't even mind at this point.

 _No. I can't shake this off._ She thought. _Might as well address it now. It was only an matter of time._

Judy sighed heavily. "Nick, I think we have to be perfectly honest with each other."

 _Wait, what does she mean by that? It better not mean what I think it is…_

She kept talking. "You have feelings for me, don't you, Nick?"

 _Shit. Shit._

 _Calm down. This was coming anyway. You've got this._ This was one of the first times his thoughts actually encouraged him, or when they didn't fight with each other.

Nick sighed. _I guess I'm doing this._ "Yes, I do." He could see the bunny blushing out of the corner of his eye. "I've had them for a while now."

"Nick, why didn't you tell me?"

"Because I was scared, okay?"

Judy was confused. "Scared of what?"

"I was scared of…everyone else, I guess. I mean, no one else has seen a fox and a rabbit fall in love. If we're the first to do it, then I don't see a very positive reaction."

Judy suddenly grabbed Nick's hand. "Nick, I'm only going to tell this to you. Fuck the media."

Nick's eyes went wide. She was very upfront about it, no lie. She continued. "What? I'm being serious. Besides, you don't have to scream to the world that you love me."

"You're just making me blush more."

"I can't see it."

"You shouldn't be able to."

The bunny rolled her eyes and smiled. "Still, you could've been completely honest with me. It won't help if you keep it in your mind."

"That's what I've been telling myself for a while now." Nick blushed even more. Now she could see some of it. The fox looked down.

"Then, does that mean you feel the same?" He asked. It should have been obvious, but apparently it wasn't.

That was when Judy kissed him on the cheek.

Nick felt like he was in heaven.

"How could you not tell?" Judy laughed. "Of course I do."

"R-really?" And now he couldn't find the right choice of words, making him look like an idiot.

"Yes. I love you, Nick Wilde." Now Judy was blushing like mad. Neither of them thought that this would happen. They had no idea what they wanted to do. Even if the clear option was right in front of them.

"Wow…I really can't believe this." Nick sighed. "But...I'm still not sure that this will work-"

"Oh, just shut up and kiss me!"

* * *

 **A/N: Cliffhangers are awesome, aren't they? ;)**

 **So, how did you guys feel? Did you enjoy this chapter? Tell me what you thought in a review. I feel really good about this :D**

 **Other than that, I've got some great stories planned! Check my profile for more information :D**

 **Now let's hope the next chapter doesn't take this long :/**


	5. Love Game

**A/N: Well, here we are. The final chapter. Yeah, I know. It was a very short story, but to be honest, I didn't have much plans for it. The idea came to me after listening to a song, and I never thought it would come here. Thank you to those who viewed, and stuck around, even during hiatus.**

 **Enough of me. Enjoy!**

 **(I say "short story", but the waits for the chapters made it longer…I should just stop talking. :/)**

 **Chapter 5: Love Game**

" _Oh, shut up and kiss me!"_

That was exactly what he needed to hear. Without any hesitation at all, Nick closed his eyes, and moved his muzzle in for a kiss. Judy gladly accepted the kiss, and both mammals were blushing like mad.

 _Who cares? She loves me._

 _That sounds so cheesy._

… _You can't let me enjoy this moment alone, can you?_

The kiss only lasted fifteen seconds, but it felt like two minutes. Not that they were complaining. They wouldn't mind kissing for that long.

Eventually, they separated for air.

"Nick…was that your first kiss?"

"No. Though it's probably the best I've kissed someone." Judy's blush was very easy to see now.

"Well, now I can see why the vixens wanted you back in the day."

For a few seconds, all they did was just look at each other, waiting for the other to say something.

"How long have you had these…feelings?" Judy asked the fox. "You've obviously had them for a while now."

"I thought about them during the Night Howler case, but I didn't have them at the time. When I got out of the academy, they just grew. And when I started at the ZPD, there was just no denying them."

"So you waited a year to tell me this?" Judy started smiling, imitating the sly smirk that Nick would give her.

"Oh, leave me alone! You could've told me too, you felt the same!"

Judy opened her mouth to say something, but then quickly closed it.

"Yeah, that's what I thought." Nick immediately responded.

"Nick, I know it's a little too early to think about this-"

"Go ahead."

Judy sighed. She was getting serious now, even if it was only their first date, and they had already gotten together.

"Do you think that we can take this relationship farther?" She asked. "I mean, something like marriage? Kids?"

"Don't think about that now. It's _way_ too early." Nick responded. "If we did get married, it would probably be a while from now. Like, maybe 6 months or so."

* * *

It has been three months since Nick and Judy became a couple.

Those three months were the best months that Nick had ever had.

It was like Judy was the hole in his life that he had been missing, and now that she was here, he was complete. I know, that sounds cliché, and you've probably heard it a million times, but Nick really couldn't find any other words to describe it. Probably because he was still trying to get over the fact that he had a girlfriend. (I say that like he's never had one.)

Eventually though, this had to get out to the public. To their surprise, the reaction wasn't as bad as they thought. The people that didn't approve of them were very vocal, despite being the minority. That's not really saying much, though. The division was about half and half.

They had planned to tell both their parents, but they never got around to it. They hated to hold it back, but like the media reaction, they didn't expect it to be too positive. Just remove the positive side from the media reaction, and you've got what they thought telling their parents would be like.

When their relationship got into the public (which was a few weeks after they started dating), they had expected people to stop talking about it in a month or so. It was the exact opposite. It had died down, but not by much. It had gotten a bit (okay, very) annoying, but they dealt with it.

* * *

It felt like his first date with her again.

It was about seven in the evening. There was that same need to tell her something that he was hiding. He just couldn't bring himself to tell her. _Nice job getting yourself in the same position that you were almost a year ago._

 _Has it really been that long?_

 _Ugh, whatever._

They were going on a date night, and Nick was planning to propose to Judy. It had now been nine months since they started dating, and Nick felt like now was the time. The fox looked at himself in the mirror for what seemed to be the millionth time, and looked back at the wedding ring that he had been trying to keep secret.

"Nick, are you ready?" Judy called out in the other room.

"Yeah, just a second!" Nick answered. He put the box in his pocket and walked out of the bathroom. They had gotten an apartment room to live together.

In short, he was a nervous wreck. He didn't know why he had this feeling. Judy said that he could be honest with him, so what's stopping him from doing this?

 _Do you think it would sound nice if you just walked up to her and said, "Judy, will you marry me?" That sounds awkward!_

 _Can you not discourage me so much?_

 _I'm sorry, but that's not really possible at the moment._

… _Why did I not expect an answer like that?_

"Nick, are you okay? You seem a bit nervous…" Judy asked. "What's wrong?"

"N-nothing…I'm not nervous, what are you talking about?" Nick answered almost immediately. He was making it obvious. Judy gave him a look that basically said 'I don't believe you for a second.'

"…Okay…" Judy drew out the word, which made it sound like she didn't believe the fox at all, but she was going to take his word for it. Just this once. She really shouldn't be, though.

 _That fox is planning something._ Judy thought. _Why have I caught onto that just now?_

* * *

Everything had seemed to be going well. The couple really enjoyed talking to each other, no matter what the subject. They spent most of their time doing that, though they did run into those "awkward silence" situations. It was like Nick trying to confess his feelings.

They went to the same place as their first date. They came back regularly, and they enjoyed spending time there. Thankfully, there was no rain forecasted that day. Actually, it was sunny outside. So, no time for running inside because of rain.

Nick didn't know when he was going to propose. All he knew was that he had to wait for the right moment. He didn't plan this date out at all, but somehow, he would make it work.

"It's really nice outside.." Nick tried to start a conversation. That would give him a bit of traction.

"Yeah, especially at this time of day." Judy replied. She knew that he wanted to tell her something. It must have been really important, because he looked more nervous than ever. He was honest with a lot of things nowadays, but she wasn't surprised at all.

It was about eight o' clock, and the stars in the sky were beginning to appear. _I guess it's now or never._ He thought.

Nick grabbed Judy's paw. "Judy, I've been thinking about this for a while…" He saw her look at him in the corner of his eye. The fox just kept looking down at his pants.

"I know, you told me that I could've been honest with you, but I didn't know what to do with this one-"

"Other than telling me?" Judy was clearly playing around.

Nick smiled and sighed. _That's my sly bunny._ "Judy, you know I love you, right?" The fox was blushing at this point.

"Of course. Why would I be with you?"

"Well, I've been thinking of asking you this for a while. One might think you'd say "yes", but I'm still not sure."

"Nick, what is it you want to tell me?"

 _Just do it!, Nick!_

 _Oh, you're encouraging me now? How surprising._

 _This is a one time thing, don't get used to it._

Nick's blush was very visible at this point. He got up, walked in front of Judy and kneeled down. He pulled the wedding ring out of his pocket. He could see Judy's jaw drop.

"Judy Hopps, will you marry me?"

 _She's going to say no. I don't even know why I did this-_

"Yes! Yes!"

 _Wait, what!?_

"Wait, what!?" Nick exclaimed.

Suddenly, Judy pushed Nick down in a hug. He was lucky that the wedding ring was still in his hand. They were both rolling down the hill, still hugging each other. They finally reached the bottom.

"Carrots…did I hear that correctly? Did you say yes?"

The bunny sighed. "If that didn't get through your head, maybe _this_ will.

As if the shock from her hug wasn't enough, she quickly moved her head towards his, and kissed him.

 _She definitely meant it, that's for sure._

Nick gladly accepted the kiss, essentially establishing the fact that they had tied the knot. The kiss lasted for about a few seconds. To them, it was like an eternity. Not that they were complaining.

They finally separated. "Wow, Carrots…" Nick sighed. "I still can't believe that you said yes."

"You're only saying that so you can get another kiss." Judy replied.

"Whatever, you enjoyed it too." Nick shot back. He looked back up at the sky. "It feels good to say that we're getting married."

"It does.." Judy said. "I'm already thinking about the wedding reception."

"Calm down, bunny. I've only just proposed to you, and there's a clear answer."

"Did you seriously not expect me to say yes?" Judy asked.

"I did, but I was doubting it as well." Nick answered.

The two just lied in the grass looking at the stars in the sky. Occasionally, they would look at each other. They knew that this was a night that they wouldn't forget.

"Nick?" Judy cooed from beside him. She seemed tired.

"Hmm?" Nick turned his head to face her.

"I love you." She said, falling asleep. Her face was in Nick's chest.

Nick smiled and sighed. "I love you too, Carrots."

* * *

 **A/N: You have no idea how relieved I am to get this done. I liked writing this story for the most part, but when I had no inspiration, it was just disheartening to write. I like this story, but not as much as I did when I first published it. When you read the previous chapters, it shows how badly they've aged. Compared to other stuff I've written, I can enjoy it fully, but with this, I can't help but go: "I think this needs a rewrite.**

 **I probably won't write a full story for a while. I know I have some ideas (check my profile) but these may not happen.**

 **When you review this, please be honest. Did you agree with what I said, or are you completely indifferent? I want to see what you think, because I don't know what to think of this.**

 **Besides that rant, I have some good news. If you follow me, you'll know that "Experiments", a past story of mine, has been reposted :D I'll be working on past requests (at least the ones I can find), and maybe some of you here can give me some ideas you have.**

 **Thanks for reading! Thank you for sticking with me after all this time. Thanks for over 10k views, and 180+ followers! That might not seem like much, but to me, it's a lot.**

 **;)**


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